Telegraph system



July 25, 1933. f A. E. THOMPSON 1,919,607

TELEGRAPH SYSTEM Filed July 28, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ALFRED E.THOMPSON ATTORNEY Patented July v25, 19-733 lmural) STATES ALFRED EDWARDTHOMSON, 0F CBOYDON,

Lento? PATENT OFFICE ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 GREED AND COM- PAN'Y, LIMITED,0F CROYDON, SURIREY, ENGLAND TELEGRAPH SYSTEM Application led July 28,1931, Serial No. 558,516, and in Great Britain .Tune 11, 1.931.

This invention relates to printing-telegraph systems and has referencemore particularly to those systems in which telegraphic communication isintermittent and the operations consequent upon the reception andprinting of a message are effected automatically without the necessityfor the attention of an operator at the receiving end of the line. f

In page printing apparatus 1r telegraph systems of the classy referredto .t is usually most convenient for the messages to be printed on formsor blanks fed in a continuous Webrom a roll. A paper roll of this naturewillnormallyl supply sufficient forms for a large number of messages butwhere the operations consequent upon the reception and printing ofmessages are effected automatically it is very desirable to providemeans operable on or near the exhaustion of the paper supply for givinga warning indication either near the receiving apparatus, or to thedistant transmitting ap` paratus from which the telegraph signals arebeing received, or at both places if desired.

l'n telegraph exchange systems, for instance in which a connection to acalled subscribers station is effected at a central station and a greatfeature is that a messa e can be received and printed at a called suscribers station in the absence of the subscriber to await attentionat-a subs uent period, it is ve desirable that the transmittin operatore given notification if due to ailure of the paper supply a message isnot ca able of being recelved at the called subscri rs station. A localwarning at the receiving subscribers stationis also ve desirable at thesame time in order that immediate attention can be drawn to thenecessity for supplying a fresh roll in order 'switch-meansgisV provi edoperable when the paper is becoming or hasfbecome exhausted,

to control means for dication.

In a large number of telegraph systemsfto which the invention isapplicable telegraph communication is only required to be effected inone direction at a time and in such cases transmitting cont-acts andreceiving relays at both ends of the line circuit are connectedin seriesin simple circuit. Under these gonditions the receiving apparatus atthel transmitting end responds to the outgoing signals and serves as ahome record of the messages transmitted. If the line circuit is brokenthe receiving apparatus at the ytransmitting station fails to record thesignals and the operator has therefore lan indication that attention isrequired. Similar arrangements are ylmown in the art as break-in signalswhereby a signal is sent in the opposite direction to that of theincoming telegraph signals. The simplest and the preferred method forthe purposes-of the present invention is for the switch contacts undercontrol of the paper rolll to open the line circuit or otherwise changeits giving a warning inelectrical condition. It will be appreciated,

mitting operator may be employed if desired, the control of which may beconvenvenient form of warning means either visual or audible can alsobeV operated at the same time 'as the signal is sent to the distanttransmitting station, for indicating lo-` cally that immediate attentionis required at the receiving station. These warning means can becontrolled by aseparate contact means operated together 'with the rstmentioned contacts by an arm of whichjthe movements are underthe controlof the pa er roll. i

n the' four figures of the accom nying drawings are illustrated two metods of however, that many other methods of returning a' suitableindication to the transeecting the control of the switch contacts .fromthe paper roll and as applied' to two different cases. The first methodconsists of employing an arm one end of which end of the paper we'b ofthe roll to a spool 'y ingthe actuation of the switch contacts.

centre such as a cardboard tube or the like by pasting or any othersuitable means, so that on the paper becoming exhausted the spool centreis drawn against guide pins 'through which the web is normally threadedonl 'a'pivoted arm to actuate the arm more posltlvely to an operatedposition for effect- In the first of the two cases the paper roll islocated on a relatively stationary .portion of the apparatus, the paperweb being fed to a movable platen carriage of the printing apparatus ina long fiexible loop. In the second case the paper-roll is mounted closeto the moving platen ycarriage of the printing apparatus and moveslaterally with the carriage. y

Fig. 1 shows the first method as 'applied to the first case and will bereadily comprehended from the foregoing remarks and explanation. A paperroll 1 ismounted by any convenient means on a suitable fixed portion ofthe apparatus, not shown, the web 2 being drawn therefrom in a loop tothe platen carriage, also not shown in this case. An arm 3 pivoted la`t4 is actuated by spring means 5 to bear at its long free end on theperiphery of the roll 1. A switch contact blade 6pivoted at 7 is adaptedto be actuated from one .position to another as limited by stops 8 and 9respectively, by snapaction means comprising spring 10 attached totheends of a short arm 11 of pivoted arm 3 and contact blade 6respectively. Contact blade 6 and stop 9 in the example shown constitutea contact making and breaking device in the line circuit over which thetelegraphi'c communication is effected, the

receiving relay being represented at 12`.V

When signals are being received and printed the line circuit will beclosed between blade 6 and contact 9. As the paper becomes exhausted,however, the arm 3 will move towards the position shown in dotted linesand at about this .position the cont-act l vblade 6 is actuated with asnap action to its opposite stop 8 to open the line circuit and warnthedistant transmitting operator as previously described.

Fig. 2 shows the first method 4as. applied to the second caseabove-outlined. The roll 1 in thiscase is shown supported in a cradlemoving on suitable means such as roller 14 with the platen carriage. Asis well-known the platen carriage moves step-by-step in a directionparallel to theyaxis of the roll for printing successive characters andrethe paper is becoming exhausted short end of lever 3 is moved towardsa position opposite a projection 15 on a contact bell crank lever in theline circuit. A jockey roller 17 or similar means is 'employed to holdthe bell crank contact lever in one or the other of its two positions.cradle when arm 3 has reached the lposition shown dotted, short arm oflever 3 actuates bell-crank lever to its opposite position to Open theline circuit. Contact bell-crank lever is replaced manually on theinsertion of a fresh roll of paper. v

Fig. 3 shows the second ymethod as applied to the first case. Acardboard or other spool centre 18 `is attached to the inner end of theweb of the paper roll as previou'sl mentioned, the web 19 being ledthrong guide pins 20 and 21 on a bell-crank lever 22 pivoted at 23. Aspring' 24 normally maintains the line circuit closed through contacts24. When the paper roll is becoming exhausted the spool centre 18 isdrawn against pins 20 and 2l and causes lever 22 to open the switchcontacts 24.

Fig. 4shows the second method as applied On movement of the to thesecond case in which the moving roll which has a spool centre attachedto the inner end of the roll as described with reference to Fig. 3. Aspring 33 normally maintains lever 29 againsta sto pin 24 so that aprojection 35 on the extension of lever 29 is out of line with a contactbell-crank lever 16. A spring jockey means 17 mainpins 31 on the paperbecoming exhausted projection 35 is brought into line with lever 16 andon return of the platen carriage and' -cradle at the end of the line ofprint, for

instance, the contact lever is4 actuated to its opposite position foractuating the warning means. As in Athe arrangement described withreference to Fig. 2 the contact lever .16 ma be replaced manually on theinsertion o a fresh roll of paper. I

Various modifications and other-possible arrangements within the scopeof the appended claims will suggest themselves to those skilled in theart and after consideration of the foregoing remarks.

What is claimed is: Y

l. In a page printing telegraph receiver, a movable platen carriage, apaper roll movable with said platen carriage, an arm pivoted on saidcarriage and cooperating with said paper roll to be moved to an operatedposition when the paper is becoming exhausted, and switch means on arelatively stationary portion of the apparatus and engagedv by aprojection on said pivoted arm on the return movement of the carriagewhen the arm is in an operated position.

2. In a page printing telegraph receiver, a paper roll, a spool centrefor said roll and to which the inner end of the paper web of the roll isaiixed, a pivoted arm, guide pins near one end of said pivoted arm andthrough which the web of paper from said roll is adapted to be drawn,and switch means operated by said pivoted arm when said spool centreengages the guide pins on exhaustion of said roll.

3. In a page printing telegraph receiver, a movable platen carriage, apaper roll movable with said carriage, a spool centre for said roll andto which the inner end of the paper web of the roll is affixed, an armpivoted on said carriage and adapted to be moved to an operated positionby said spooll centre on exhaustion or' said paper roll, switch means ona relatively stationary portion of the apparatus and adapted to beengaged by said pivoted arm on movement of said carriage when the arm isin an operated position.

4. In a telegraph receiver, a paper roll, a

spool centre for said roll to which the inner end of the paper web ofthe roll is aiiixed,

switch means for giving a warning indica- 5. In a telegraph receiver, aspool cradle,

a paper roll supported therein having a spool centre to which the innerend of the paper web of the roll is attached, switch means for giving awarnlng indication of the exhaustion of the paper, and a memberpositively actuated by said spool`centre on its withdrawal from'saidcradle on exhaustion of the paper supply for causing the actuation' ofsaid switch means.

6. In a page printing telegraph receiver, a spool crad1ea paperrollsupported therein and having a spool centre to which the inner endof the web of said roll is aiiixed, a pivoted arm engageable at one endby said spool Ecentre on its Withdrawal from said cradle on theexhaustion of the paper, and switch contacts actuated by movement oflsaid arm.

ALFRED EDWARD ATH llIPSON.

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